While summer begins to heat up the Wasatch Back, Summit County’s Fire Warden is reminding residents that now is a great time to prepare for fire season.
Although the fire season officially begins on June 1st, Summit County Fire Warden Bryce Boyer says they’ve seen several small fires already this year. He says right now they’re looking at an average fire season.
“We could see some other smaller fires, short duration in time with wind events coinciding with a start,” Boyer explained. “This would be a good time to be doing your yard defensible space. Looking at the structure hardening on your home. Where you're spending more time at home and so on, maybe get some of that yard work, trimmings and stuff done.”
Boyer recommends homeowners harden their structures to protect them against wildfire.
“Don’t have excess of leaves and stuff in corners around your home,’ Boyer continued. “Cracks and crevices are sealed. Making sure decks and wood areas are either stained or painted, not bare wood. They’re less likely to receive embers and start. Making sure that any vent either in the foundation or crawl spaces or attic areas, dryer vents and that kind of stuff have screening over them. To prevent embers from being blown in.”
More information on can be found through a link on KPCW.org
Boyer adds the fallout of COVID-19 has also had its impact on the district as they ramp up preparations for the fire season.
“Doing education, training virtually with fire department folks,” Boyer said. “Online trainings of wildland, updating that getting them ready for the new season. The last couple of weeks as it’s stayed warmer over evenings it’s putting apparatus’s back into service. Still going through checking pumps and all of that making sure everything is open and serviced for when we do have fires.”
Boyer also says it’s too early to know whether fireworks will be allowed or not this year. He says that’s determined by a number of conditional factors as well as discussions with local and state authorities.
